I have recently upgraded my primary personal computers from the ASUS Nexus 7 tablet and Samsung Galaxy Nexus smartphone to the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 tablet and HTC One smartphone. In another article I am going to explain why, given all the choices available to me for tablets and smartphones, I picked these particular items.

For the past year my primary tablet has been the Nexus 7, chosen because of it’s size, native Android operating system and price. I also own and use an iPad as well as an ASUS VivaTab Windows RT tablet but I prefer carrying a smaller tablet because I think the iPad is too large and heavy to carry everywhere.

I pretty much carry my Nexus 7, and now Galaxy Note 8, whenever I plan to do a serious amount of reading or taking notes. The iPad is one of the primary computers that I use at home, and I frequently use it as a second screen to watch sporting events and video podcasts. If I plan to do a significant amount of writing, or benefit from having a wider screen display, I grab the VivaTab.

When the Galaxy Nexus became available I bought it because I felt it was the best upgrade available for the Nexus S I was using, and I was having problems with my Nexus S where it was randomly locking up.

Up until now the Galaxy Nexus has been my favorite phone because of the native version of Android that it runs and its physical design. The fact that it lacks LTE support had me considering a replacement, but the decision was made for me when the Galaxy Nexus had an untimely demise on a tile floor.

Like most people, the smartphone is the personal computer that goes with me wherever I go, and today that I means I am carrying the HTC One. The One is the most beautifully designed Android phone to date, but more importantly for me it works on AT&T’s LTE network so that I have the fastest mobile Internet access available to me when it is needed.

An astute reader will notice that this turnover of my primary personal computers is a move away from the stock Android user experience that is the calling card of the Nexus brand. I’ll admit to some trepidation about living within Samsung and HTC’s user experiences, but I have decided that the hardware benefits are significant enough for me to tolerate Touchwiz and Sense. In a later article I will write about how being outside the Nexus is working for me.